1st Intenational ICST Conference on Immersive Telecommunications & Workshops

Research Article

Sensor network based localization for continuous tracking applications [invited paper]

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  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/ICST.IMMERSCOM2007.2080,
        author={Livio Denegri and Sandro Zappatore and Franco Davoli},
        title={Sensor network based localization for continuous tracking applications [invited paper]},
        proceedings={1st Intenational ICST Conference on Immersive Telecommunications \& Workshops},
        proceedings_a={IMMERSCOM},
        year={2010},
        month={5},
        keywords={Sensor networks localization ultrasonic},
        doi={10.4108/ICST.IMMERSCOM2007.2080}
    }
    
  • Livio Denegri
    Sandro Zappatore
    Franco Davoli
    Year: 2010
    Sensor network based localization for continuous tracking applications [invited paper]
    IMMERSCOM
    ICST
    DOI: 10.4108/ICST.IMMERSCOM2007.2080
Livio Denegri1,*, Sandro Zappatore1,*, Franco Davoli1,*
  • 1: Department of Communication Computer and System Sciences, DIST University of Genoa 13 Via all’Opera Pia 16145 Genoa, Italy
*Contact email: denegri@dist.unige.it, sandro.zappatore@unige.it, franco@dist.unige.it

Abstract

The increasing interest in systems able to provide users immersive services (e.g. domotics, context-aware applications, immersive distance learning tools) has encouraged the development of cheap and effective platforms aimed at tracking objects and people within a certain space. In this context, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) can play a very important role, since specialized sensors can be fruitfully exploited in order to generate/receive signals by means of which the WSN can derive the position of nodes jointed to the objects to be tracked.

The paper presents an original localization platform that exploits a single-hop WSN, based on a Microchip MCU and a Cypress RF device, to tracking its moving nodes. Specifically, the nodes of the network are divided in three sets: the first set consists of anchor nodes that, accordingly to the commands from the sink (the central node of WSN), generate ultrasonic pulses. These ones are received by the second set of (moving) nodes, which estimate the pulse-trip-time and communicate it to the sink. Finally, the last set is constituted by general purpose nodes that collect any kind of data from the surrounding field. The sink gathers all the data, computes the position of moving nodes and transfers information to external users on the Internet.

The algorithms adopted to manage the network and to localize moving nodes are discussed. A working prototype based upon the hardware platform, software and protocol described in this paper has been deployed and tested, and some results are shown.